Rolling mill feeding apparatus



Sept. 7, 1937. H, H, TALBOT 2,092,480

ROLLING MIL-L FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. s, 1954 s sheets-sheet 1 I Q Q52 2F53 2/2 ul 4MM 1 :l illnnhl :P

g: s. ,n 3/ r 2.56 .F 3 I' O y 122g l 32 u 2.34

sept. 7, 1937. H H TALBOT 2,092,480

ROLLING MIL-L FEEDING APPARATUS y Filed Jan. 8, 1954 s sheets-smet 2 INVENTOR WITNESSES Sept. 7, 1937. H, TALBOT 2,092,480

ROLLING MILL FEYEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. s, 1934 5 sheets-sheet 3 mnnrnn n nn Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES rrfrrzNT OFFICE ROLLING MILL reEpING APPARATS Howard H. Talbot, Pittsburgh; Pa., assignorkto United Engineering & Foundry Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania in which relatively small. working rolls are employed,` difculty is frequently. encountered in entering the material between the working rolls. `This is due principally, to the f act that the bite angle of the small working rolls is such that it does not provide sufficient grip to Areadily pull the stock into the rolls byv mere engagement with it. Alsofbecause-of the nature of the bite angle,

if the end ofthe lstock is 'at all deformed or warped; it makes it diiiicult to enter it.` in the mill. vIn fact, such mills 'are incapable of picking up stock which is as thick as they are capable of eiiciently and effectively Working without the stock being positively forced into them. Because of this and because of the lack of suitable feeding apparatus for such mills in the past they have inthe most part cieritly'.

With these difficulties and the desirability of tensioning the material While it isbelng rolled working rolls material thatis too thick to be entered into the roll pass formed thereby without the application of a positive pressure .and which is also adapted to tension the material after it is engaged in the mill.

` Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which is adapted to maintain the stock in proper alignment as it is being rolled and'also tensioning it without in any Way marking or mari-ing its surface.

A further object is to provide a combined sticker and-dragwhich is capable of also straightening the material and at the same time operating to feed new: pieces of stock into the mill at a very rapid speed. A

A still further object is torprovide an apparatusembodying the aforementioned advantages which is simple andsturdy of construction, de-

pendable in operation and capable of being readily Japplied to a `mill in operation as well as one under construction.

These and various other objects, as Well as the various other novel features and advantages oi' the invention, will be apparentyvhen the followbeen operated 'very inem- Application January s, i934, sei-iai Nd. '105,701

(ci. s0-i3) vcordance with the invention; Fig. 2 a front elevational view of the same apparatus; Fig. 3 a plan view and Fig. 4 a horizontal section taken on the line IV-IV, of Fig. l showing the feeding and leveling apparatus removed. f

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numerals 20|! and 202 designate the working and backing rollsv respectively of a rolling mill of the backed-up type, which is the E Ype of mill more particularly contemplated by this invention, al'- though it is not necessarily so limited in its use.v These rolls, as shown, aresupported in the customary manner inra" pair of roll housings 203,

between which the feeding apparatus designated generally by the numeral 200 is in the most part located.

In the single embodiment -of 'the invention il l 'lustrated this feeding apparatus comprises a main stock and roll-supporting frame 205 which is of an' oblong shape and mounted to ride on a pair of bars orrails 206 attached to the inner faces of the roll housings 203. For receiving these rails this frame is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed grooves 20l in its side walls which adapt it to be reciprocated ba'ck Jand forth in and opposeduto the direction of travel of the stock into the mill for feeding purposes.v

In the upper central portion of s uch frame there is mounted in suitable bearings 200 a plurality of spaced transversely extending rolls 200. Opposite these there are se'cured front and rear stock-supporting aprons or tables 2i!! and 2l2 which are preferably made of some suitable soft material, suchasbrass or wood, and projected beyond the ends of the` frame `205. The forward 'of these aprons, as will be described more indewtail hereinafter, is 'employed more particularly to guide the forward ends of the stock into the roll pass formed by the working rolls 20H of the mill and the rearward one to guide the stock into the feeding apparatus or over the main stock-supporting frame 200. v

Above this main stock-supporting frame 205 there is provided a clamping frame 2l3 which consistses'senti'ally of a pair vof side walls 2id and a plurality of cross ribs 2l5 so fabricated as to form a rigid structure similar to the main frame 205. On the bottom of this latter frame directly above the rolls 209 located in the center of the lower frame there is provided a pair of similar rolls 2HE which are mounted in suitable bearings 2 i l with their axes disposed midway between the axes of the rolls 200 so that they will form with the latter rolls a stock-engaging and leveling pass for resisting the movement of thel stock through `the feeder to thereby tension it afterit is engaged in the k mill and straighten it before it reaches the mill. lV

On the side walls 2M of such clamping frames ir of vertically disposed guiding plates 2|8 which are extended downwardly along the sides of the main frame 205 and arranged to slide in two pairs of guides 2|9 secured to the sides of the latter` frame which prevent any endwise movement of the upper frame when lowered and raised to engage and disengage the stock mounted on the lower frame.

For raising and lowering the upper frame 2|3 and also reciprocating the entire apparatus toward and from the mill a hydraulic motor 22| is provided, being mounted for convenience on a pedestal 222 located directly below the feeder. While not shown, any suitable source of power supply may be utilized for operating this motor which consists essentially of a cylinder 223 and a plunger 224 and any suitable control for controlling its operation may be employed.

To the plunger 224 of this motor there is attached a connecting rod 225 which in turn is connected to a cross head`226 located atthe mill end of the compression cylinder. From this cross head a pair of connecting rods 221 is extended on opposite sides of the engine through guides 228 to the forward end of the cylinder 223 and joined together by a, shaft 229 on which a bifurcated connecting link 23| is pivotally mounted. The arms 232 of this connecting link are pivotally connected to the free ends of a pair of cranks 233 which are keyed to a shaft mounted in spaced bearings 235 located on an extension 240 of the engine pedestal 222. On the outer ends of this latter shaft 234 outside of the bearings 235 there is secured a second and longer pair of cranks 236 which are extended upwardly toward the main stock-supporting frame 205.

Secured to the under side'of the lower stocksupporting frame 205 in suitable bearings 231 and 238 located adjacent the opposite ends thereof is a pair of shafts 239 and 24|. On the ends of these there are keyed two pairs of levers 242 and 243 respectively. The latter of these, which are located at the rear end of the frame are somewhat L-shaped and longer than the -former and connected by pairs of links 244 with the upper ends of the cranks 236 secured to the outer ends of the shaft 234 mounted on the extension 240 of the pedestal 222 to which the plunger 224 of the engine 22| is operably connected as previously described. l

In substantial alignment with the shafts 239 and 24| mounted on theunder side of the main frame 205 oppositely disposed' pairs of trunnions 245 and 246 are secured to the inner'faces of the.

side walls 2|4 of the upper clamping frame 2|3 and to these there are secured two pairs of connecting or lifting' rods 241 and 248 which are also connected to the free ends pf the levers 242 and to the levers 243 near their free ends, while between such latter levers at points directly opposite the points where the lifting rods 241 and 248 are connected there is secured a pair of side links 249.

With this arrangement whenever the plunger 224 of the engine 22| is moved away from the mill it causes the cranks 236 and the levers 242 and 243 to be rotated in the same direction, and

l thereby lifts the clamping frame 213 away from the lower frame 205 and also moves both frames away from the mill. When so operated, the upper frame 2|3- is adapted to support the upper leveling rolls 2|6 clear of the lower rolls 209, as shown in Fig.' 2, so that the stock can be readily fed into the sticker which is thus disposed to a position for receiving the stock prior to feeding. On the reverse stroke of the engine the cranks .when forced toward the rolls.

236 and the levers 242 and 243 are rotated toward the mill. During the first part of this movement the upper frame 2 I3 is moved into operative engagement with the lower frame, that is with the upper rolls 2|6 projecting below the surfaces of the lower rolls 209 and in a position to flex the material so as to resist its movement therethrough, and hence tension it and straighten it as Well as hold it in alignment as it is pushed into and pulled through the mill.

As soon as the stock is properly gripped in the feeder the continued movement of the plunger 224 in the same direction causes the feeder to be moved forward toward the mill eventually reaching its foremost position indicated by the dotted lines 25| in Fig. l. To prevent the feeder passing beyond this latter position a pair of resiliently mounted stops 252 is secured in suitable brackets 253 to the two sides of the lower frame 205 adjacent the rear end thereof, being so arwhich are disposed to engage the rear end of such frame.

A difficulty encountered in forcing flexible material of the nature contemplated by the invention into the working rolls of a backed-up mill or mill having a roll pass 0f the same character is that the material buckles when it is pushed against the rolls unless the force is applied to it very close to the mill and when 'such buckling develops it is` practically impossible to enter into the mill if any appreciable force is required for such purpose. A further difficulty is to apply the force to the material sufciently close to the roll pass of the mill to prevent this buckling.

To overcome these difficulties and at the same time permit a roller leveler to be used as a feeder and tensioning drag, a clamping shoe 255 is provided on the forward end of the upper roll-supporting frame 2 |3 to cooperate with the platform or apron 2|| on the lower frame 205 in forming means for gripping and clamping the material sufficiently close to the mill to prevent its buckling Another purpose of such shoe is to straighten the end of the material and thereby accurately register it with the roll pass. As shown, the shoe, which, like the apron`2| is preferably made of brass or some other suitable soft material, is attached to a frame 256 which is equipped at its rear'upper corners with a pair of lugs 251 in which vertical slots 258 are provided. In these slots a pair of pins 259 secured to the side walls'2l4 of the upper frame 2| 3 is engaged, the slots being provided to permit the shoe 255 to be moved relative to the frame 2|3 so that it may be released as soon as the material isv engaged in the mill. As will be appreciated it is desirable to so release this shoe at such time so that the material can be drawn without injury'through the feeder or drag.

For operating the shoe 255 in the manner referred to its supporting frame 256 is connected at its two ends bytoggle links 26| and 2624 to the are so designed that when they are in alignment, Y

and the clamping frame is operated to its stockengaging position by the motor 22|, they firmly clamp the shoe againstthe apron 2| To hold them in alignment when the material is being clamped against the apron 2H by the shoe 255l and to break the toggle so as to release the shoe after the material is engaged in the mill, a pair of rods 263 is connected to their central joints 264 and'extended to the rear of the upper frame 2I3Jthrough the cross braces 2I5. At their rear ends these rods are equipped withcoil springs 265 which are disposed to bear against the rear brace 2|5 and suitable stops 266 secured 'to them ata point spaced from such brace. These springs both hold the toggle links 26| and 262 in .alignment under normal conditions and return them to such position whenever the toggle is broken and the forces breaking themare released.

To provide for automatically releasing the shoe 255 as the sticker reaches the forward end of its i feeding travel-under the inuence of they operattoggle operating lrods 263. these triggers are in turn disposed to engage a `ing motor 22|, a pair of triggers 251 is pivotally mounted on the rear upper corners of the side walls of the clamping frame and so arranged that` their lower ends bear against the rear ends of the The upper ends of pair of adjustable stops 268 mounted on the inner walls of the roll housings 203 of the mill as the sticker approaches the forward end of its feeding travel. As a result theycause the trigger to rotate above their pivots 269 forcing the toggle rods 263 forward relative to the clamping frame 2 i3 and thereby break the toggles as shown by the dotted lines 2li in Fig. l and lift the shoe. In the event the stock or material is picked up bythe millbefore the shoe 255 is released by the triggers 261 it will, by friction, cause the shoe 255 to bepulled forward over the stationary apron 2li thereby causing the toggle to be broken and yin such way relieve the pressure on the shoe, thus preventing any damage to the material under such conditions.

In operation with the feeder in its released position )a piece of material is fed through it until the forwardend thereof is against or substantially against the `mill rolls. The operating,

. motor 22H is, then actuated to effect the feeding operation which consists essentially of three movements: First, the clamping frame 2i3 is moved into clamping engagement with the main supporting frame 205, causing 'the shoe 255 to firmly engage the end of the material between it and the apron 2li and rolls Zit to move to a position with respect to the rolls 209 providing a strengthening and tensioning pass; second, as soon as the clamping frame is moved to its stockengaging position the entire apparatus is moved towardy the mill; and third, as the apparatus nears the end of its feeding stroke the triggers 261i engage the stops 268 breaking the toggles 26l and 262 and lifting the shoe-255 to its released position.` Thereafter the passage of the stock through the mill is resisted by the effect thereon of the rolls 200 and 2i6 which in addition to tensioning the stock strengthens it and maintains it in alignment without in any way marking or marring its surface.

After a piece of stock has passed through the mill the motor 22| is reversed to return the apminimum of dimculty gear racks 212 are secured to the lower side edges of the main supporting frame and meshed with a pair of pinions 213 which are employed to move the appa-ratus after its ,link connections are removed out beyond the face of the mill so that the repairs can be made with ease. 4As shown, these pinions are keyed to a shaft 214 carried in bearings 215 attached to the mill housings 203, the ends 216 of the shaft boing made non-circular to receive a turning tool for effecting its rotation.

Among'the advantages of the invention is the provision of a feeding apparatus for forcibly feeding iiexible material into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged in the mill, which is simple and sturdy of constructon, efficient and easy to operate at any desired speed, and at the same time adapted to both maintain the end and the axis ,of the material in proper alignment, as well as tension it without marring or impairing its surface.- In addition, as will'be apprel ciated, it may be adapted for use with any shape by those skilled in the art without departing` from the spirit .of the invention.

I claim: i

v 1. A combined sticker and drag for forcibly'I feeding thin metallic strip into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged in the mill, comprising a-roller leveler mounted for movement toward and away from the mill in the plane of the working pass of the mill and adaptedto tension the strip, means for positively moving said leveler in both of said directions, means secured to the forward end of said leveler for gripping the material and sticking the forward end thereof in the mill as the leveler is moved towardthe mill, and means for releasing said gripping means when thel material is engaged in the mill.

2. A combined sticker and drag 'for forcibly feeding material to be rolled into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged4 in the mill. comprising a roller leveler'consisting of a lower and a vertically adjustable upper roll supportingframe mounted for conjoint movement toward and away from the mill in the plane of the Working pass of the mill, a single power unit for adjusting said upper rollsupporting frame and positively moving both of said frames in both of said directions, means secured to the forward end of. said leveler for gripping the material and sticking the forward end thereof in the mill as the leveler is moved toward the mill, and means for releasing said gripping means when thematerial is engaged in the mill.

3. A combined sticker and drag for forcibly feeding thin metallic strip into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged in the mill, comprisinga roller leveler consisting of a mam lower roll supporting frame equipped with leveler rolls and a verticallyadjustable upperroll supporting frame equipped with cooperating leveler rolls which are mounted for conjoint movement toward. and awayfrom the mill in the plane of the working pass of the mill, means for adjusting said upper frame to engage and disengage a piece of stock placed on said lower frame, means for positively moving both of vsaid frames inthe manner described, means secured to the forward end of said leveler in spaced relation to said leveler rolls for gripping the material and ,sticking the forward end thereof in the mill as the leveler is moved toward the mill, and means automatically operable at a predetermined point in the movement ofthe carriage toward the mill for releasing said gripping means.

4. A combined sticker and drag for forcibly feeding thin metallic strip into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged in the mill, comprising a roller leveler consisting of a lower and an upper roll supporting frame each equipped with cooperating leveler rolls` mounted for movement toward and away from the mill in the plane of the working pass of the mill, means for positively moving said leveler in both of said directions, cooperating means secured to the forward end of said leveler frames for gripping the material and sticking the forward end thereof in the mill as the leveler is moved toward the mill, and means disposed to engage the mill andy automatically release said gripping means when the material is engaged in the mill.

5. A combined sticker and drag for forcibly feeding thin metallic strip into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged in the mill, comprising a lower roll supporting frame equipped with a plurality of leveler rolls mounted for movement toward and away from the mill in the plane of the working pass of the mill, an upper roll supporting frame equippedV with cooperating leveler rolls and mounted for vertical movement with respect to said lower frame as well as for horizontal movement therewith, means for raising and lowering said-upper frame` and positively moving both of said frames'toward and from the mill, cooperating means secured to the forward ends of said frames for gripping a piece of material disposed therebetween and sticking the forward end thereof in the mill as the two frames are moved toward'the mill, and means disposed to engage the mill and automatically release said gripping means when the material is engaged in the mill.

6. A combined sticker and drag for forcibly feeding thin metallic strip into a rolling mill and tensioning it after it is engaged in the mill, comprising a lower roll and stock supporting frame equipped with one or more leveler rolls mounted for movement toward and away from the mill in the plane of the working pass of the mill, an upper roll supporting frame equipped with one or more cooperating leveler rolls mounted for movement with and relative to said lower frame, means for positively moving said upper frame relative to said lower frame and both of said frames toward and from the mill, means secured to the forward ends of said frames for gripping the front end of the material and sticking it into the millahead of the leveler'when itI is moved toward the mill, and means automatically operable at a predetermined point in the movement of the roller supporting frames toward the mill for releasing said gripping means.-

'7. A combined sticker and drag comprising a lower roll and stock supporting frame equipped f on its upper surface with one or more leveler rolls and mounted for movement toward and away from the working pass of a rolling mill, an upper roll supporting *frame equipped with one or more leveler rolls disposed to cooperate with the rstmentioned rolls in forming a roller leveler and mounted for movement toward and from said lower frame and also therewith toward and from a mill, astock supporting and clamping apron mounted on said lower frame in front of and in line with the rolls thereof, a clamping shoe adjustably supported on said upper frame opposite said apron, a toggle connection securing said shoe to said upper frame, means for breaking said toggle connection to release said shoe, means disposed to actuate said toggle breaking means after a predetermined forward movement of said upper frame, a motor disposed below said lower frame, and means connecting said motor to said two frames in such a` way as to operate said upper v cured to the forward end of said carriage for gripping and feeding the material into a mill, and means for releasing said gripping means.

9. A sticker for forcibly feeding flexible stock `into a rolling mill comprising cooperating Aclamping elements disposed for movement into and out of clamping engagement with a piece of stock, means for forcibly moving said clamping elements towardand from a mill, and means associated therewith disposed to engage the mill and automatically release said clamping elements when the material fed thereby is engaged in the mill. l

10. yFor use in combination with a rolling mill, means operable as aV drag for applying a tension to a piece of strip being passed through the mill, releasable clamping means arranged in front of the tensioning means for gripping' the end of the strip, and means for actuating said clamping means to positively forcelthe end of the strip into the bite of the mill rolls.

11. For use in combination with a rollingy mill, a strip straightening device arranged in front of the mill and provided with means for resisting the passage of a piece of strip therethrough, means disposed between said straightening de- Vice and the mill for gripping the end of the strip, and \means for actuating said gripping means to positively force the end of the strip into the bite of the mill rolls.

12. For use in combination with a rolling mill,

a roller leveler arranged in front of the mill to engage and resist the passage of the stock through ther mill, means arranged between said leveler and the mill for gripping the end of the stock, and means for actuating said gripping means to positively force the end of the stock into the bite of the mill rolls.

13. For use in combination with a rolling mill, a roller leveler comprising opposed sets of working rolls for engaging a piece of strip and resisting its passage through the mill, means for moving one of said sets of rolls into and out of operative position, means disposed between said leveler and the mill for releasably clamping the end of the stock, and means for actuating said clamping means to positively force the end of the stock into the bite of the mill rolls.

- HOWARD H. TALBOT.

'CERTIFICATE '0R CORRECTION.

' September ?,f 1957.

RCWARD H. TALBOT.v

It is hreby certified tha: error appers in the printed speciflctio'n.

of the above mimberedpotent requiring correction as follows Page Ll., second Column, line 18, elaim8, aftez the word "cooperating" insert sete of opposed I horizontalljdisposed; line 19 ,ame Claim, for- "disposed and adapted" read arrangeg' same line and c1im,' .before "engage" inserto; line. 20, same o1aim,for "and" re ad as to; end that the saidvLetters Patent shold be vrea-d.

with these'eorrecvti'ons therein that the same'may conform to thel record of the case i'n the Patent O fiee. A' 1 Signed end sealed this 26th day of )clobeIrl 'DQ `1957.

- Henryv Van Arsdale,J (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.. 

